13 year old girl jailed for shoplifting

Girl, 13, is locked up for two weeks - A 13-year-old girl suspected of shoplifting should not have been left among other inmates at Dallas County Jail for 13 days, her father says.

Joe Lewis said his daughter Jasmine could have been hurt during her nearly two-weeklong stay at the jail, where she finally was released on probation July 23, The Dallas Morning News said Friday.

"It doesn't make any sense to have a 13-year-old in there," Lewis said. "They could have killed her. Something bad could have happened. She doesn't look 17. She looks 13, and I wonder why they didn't see that."

Police
insist Jasmine Lewis informed officers she was 17 not 13 and was not carrying any identification featuring her true age.

Senior Cpl. Roberto Garcia told the Morning News such age conflicts can cause confusion when dealing with younger suspects.

"It's just the frustrating battle that we have out there in the real world," Garcia said. "I just have a heck of a time when these juveniles won't tell you who they are and they have no ID."

The younger Lewis was reported as a runaway by her father on July 10, the same day she and a 20-year-old were arrested on shoplifting charges at a Dallas store.

you know, some people in USA think that USA is too harsh when it comes to criminals
but what they don't know is that there are country's where citizens
are in awe of the USA law enforcement basically because in many country's
criminals are free to do as they like and the law enforcement, even though they are around
they don't do much...
And even if the criminals are arrested, they are released after 6 to 12 months
for things like killing others (by so called accident) or 3-5 years for murdering
but then they are released after just 1 year for good behavior.

you know, some people in USA think that USA is too harsh when it comes to criminals
but what they don't know is that there are country's where citizens
are in awe of the USA law enforcement basically because in many country's
criminals are free to do as they like and the law enforcement, even though they are around
they don't do much...
And even if the criminals are arrested, they are released after 6 to 12 months
for things like killing others (by so called accident) or 3-5 years for murdering
but then they are released after just 1 year for good behavior.

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I know that USA has stricter punishments than most other countries and agree with this.

Even if she were 17, two weeks in jail is quite a bit of time for petty theft, even by national standards. Most states might leave you there for a day or two at most and mostly punish you through community service, a fine, or in some cases probation. Perhaps if she had a hefty rap sheet I could understand incarceration, but even then it shouldn't be in any old jailhouse.

Then again we must recall that this is Texas, which has a history of strict law enforcement (though it was eased up on it a little bit as of late).

Ok, you guys have to understand that this is Dallas. The same city were last summer it was common to see on the news just about every day that cars were being set on fire in broad daylight(were later it was found out these were groups of teenagers setting the fires) and pretty consistent stabbings and shootings.

I dont agree that it was right what happened, but there are many teens that are 13-14 that look like they are in their late teens, early twenties. If she lied about her age and had no id and there was no way to track down her family to identify her, then I can understand the reasoning with this. Also since she was with a 20 year old when she was arrested it isnt that surprising they thought she was older.

1. Serves her fucking right for being stupid enough to shop lift and stupid enough to lie. She would have had chances to give her true age and contact her father who could have brought ID but she was stubborn and served the time for it.

2. Why do people get locked up for crimes like theft? It costs the tax payers money to keep them there, make them work, pick up litter, clean the streets, anything that would make them put money back into society rather than taking more out...

the kids a thief. simple. she broke the law and got punished. i dont doubt she had a reason, (she just wanted it, probably). but that doesnt bother me. what bothers me is the fact she could have earned the cash to buy it or done CS to repay the debt. jail doesnt work anymore. its a palace compared to outside. if alternatives were better considered and more available such as giving people an option to either work the debt off with no criminal record or jail with one etc, then young peoples lives would not be so readily ruined by those trying to save them. not that the soft way works always, but more options are needed including the criminals choice of rehabilitation (with strict rules).

Just another thought... there are some countries where thiefs have their hand cut off... so erm.. 2 weeks in jail is a walk in the park

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Wanted to say, comparing a contraversial event to horrible events elsewhere shows a lack of understanding to me and a shit view of what we can become. We are better than cutting peoples hands off, and we are striveing to be better. How can you compare inhuman "laws" to the newage "laws" of today? We're trying to better ourselves, not chain ourselves down.

And by the way, 1 day in jail is no "walk in the park". And she's a kid.

Wanted to say, comparing a contraversial event to horrible events elsewhere shows a lack of understanding to me and a shit view of what we can become. We are better than cutting peoples hands off, and we are striveing to be better. How can you compare inhuman "laws" to the newage "laws" of today? We're trying to better ourselves, not chain ourselves down.

And by the way, 1 day in jail is no "walk in the park". And she's a kid.

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She shouldn't have been so stupid than. Regardless of her age, she broke the law, and continued to be stupid after the fact. She got what she deserved. But knowing this, a think a lawsuit is coming.

Stupid yes. I'm not being funny, but a 13 year old rarely looks 17, but put that aside. Did the police keep her in jail after they knew her age? They have a legal and moral obligation to remove her from jail and contact social services.